Health In All Policies: Advancing an Intersectoral Approach to Promoting Healthy Eating in Ontario

The Nutrition Resource Centre and Ontario Public Health Association hosted its 2014 Annual Conference on the unique theme of:

Health In All Policies: Advancing an Intersectoral Approach for Promoting Healthy Eating in Ontario.

Health-In-All-Policies (HiAP) is an emerging collaborative approach to improving health by including health, equity, and sustainability considerations into decision-making across sectors and policy areas. Participants engaged in an important and timely discussion on how a HiAP approach can be applied to strengthen Ontario's food system, especially given the unique opportunities provided by current public policy initiatives (e.g. Healthy Kids Strategy and Local Food Act). Participants discussed how decisions in multiple sectors (e.g. agriculture, transportation, education, infrastructure, children, youth and social services etc) affect availability, awareness, and access to healthy foods and explored practical methods, tools and resources on engaging diverse government and community partners to promote healthy eating.

OBJECTIVES

Provide a platform for dialogue on how to advance an health in all policies approach to promoting healthy eating in Ontario

Showcase examples of collaborative food and healthy eating policy initiatives between nutrition professionals and professionals working in non-health sectors

Funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, the Nutrition Resource Centre (NRC) has operated under the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) since 1999 and is one of 14 health promotion resource centres operating in Ontario. The NRC strengthens the capacity of health promotion professionals and community partners involved in healthy eating and nutrition across the health continuum. Through networking and collaboration, the NRC is fostering knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) and is building a centre of excellence in evidence-based resources and tools to support program and policy development throughout Ontario.